Page 17 of Touched By Maen Llia
Catrin realized she was clutching the gold and blue saddle cloth and she let it go hurriedly, staring at it. What to do? Whatcouldshe do?
As her heart calmed, sensible thought came to her. With it came the crushing pressure of time. How much time did she have? How long before Brycheiniog came? There was no one in the palace who could help her…
She straightened and tossed her blooded eating knife away. Then she stripped the Brycheiniog saddle cloth from the horse, leaving it barebacked, except for the strap the two saddle bags dangled from. She investigated the packs and found food and wine in one and writing instruments and parchment in the other. Ianto had been an inadequate mage, but he had propped up his status with King Geraint because he could read and write—a valuable skill in any kingdom.
Catrin spread the Brycheiniog saddle cloth upon the path and weighed the corners down with stones. Others would find it and be warned that something was afoot with their neighboring kingdom.
Then she hurried over to Ianto’s body and rid it of everything not touched by blood. Her heart started to hurry every time she reconsidered what she was about to do, but she thrust the thoughts aside. There was no help for it. She had to try something.
It was a good thing Ianto was such a skinny man and so short. She had always been strong, too. But he was still an awkward, slippery weight to move. She dragged and heaved and rolled the body closer to the horse, which she had to soothe with nose pats and low talk. Then she propped the body on its feet, put its arms on the horse’s back, and pinned them down while she moved around the back of the horse, then hauled on the arms from the other side.
At last, she had Ianto on the horse. He was still dripping blood from the gash in his neck, but she would be in front of him and there was nothing she could do about it, anyway.
Hastily, she donned the embroidered cloak, the fur that went on top, and the jeweled belt with Ianto’s good eating knife and the short sword that she doubted he’d ever drawn from its scabbard.
Then she swung herself over the gelding’s back and picked up the reins. Her heart was still galloping. “Let us see if bluff will substitute for power, hmm?” she whispered, and patted its neck.
The route to Brycheiniog was very nearly the same as the one to Maen Llia, for the Roman road that ran past the stone also ran directly to Tewdrig’s kingdom. It was the road an army would take, instead of risking the legs of their horses on the steep slopes of the hills.
The gelding was fresh, one of the sturdy horses which were bred locally, and raised to scramble upon the slopes and valleys of Dyfed. It climbed steadily, despite the extra load it carried.
They reached the place where Catrin had stood before Merlin, last night, and kept going along the flat stones of the road, while Catrin’s heart tried to throw itself through her chest. At any moment now, she must surely come upon Tewdrig and his men. They would not risk arriving later in the day to find the palace had roused from the concoction Ianto had fed them.
When she heard the clatter of horses, ahead, Catrin let out a shuddering breath that was almost a moan. Her courage departed her, and she might have turned the horse and bolted, only the sound of a galloping horse would bring Tewdrig’s men to investigate.
She had no choice but to see this through. If it failed, then she would be no worse off than if shehadrun.
It was a tiny dollop of consolation, but it allowed her to bring the horse to a halt in the middle of the road. She twisted to check her surroundings. The road was sloped, here, and took an unusual turn around an outcropping, barely thirty paces behind her. It crested, another thirty paces away and Tewdrig’s banner would appear there at any moment.
On either side lay open land, with pale turf and rocks.
It was as good a place as any. Catrin nudged the horse forward a dozen paces, then coaxed it to turn around and halt. She twisted and shoved the body off the back of the horse. The gelding trotted forward a few steps in surprise, then halted at her soft word. She turned it again, so that Tewdrig and his men would see the body lying on the road—even now oozing blood upon the stones—and her behind it, upon the gelding.
She arranged the cloak behind her, sat up upon the horse and waited, for it would be any moment now.
The gold and blue banner appeared above the crest, waving and bouncing as the rider who carried it was jolted by his horse. Then the helmets and bare heads of the riders. They must surely have seen her at the same time, but they did not slow their pace.
Not until they were only a dozen paces from the body did the company halt.
Catrin let out a shaky breath. She kept her gaze upon the bare-headed, portly man in the thick cloak and blue tunic. He had to be Tewdrig, for everyone else was poorly dressed in comparison. They were a rough, small company, but they were armed. And all they needed to defeat the kingdom of Dyfed right now was a single blade each, while stealing from room to room and slitting all the throats they found.
Unless she could halt this.
“Make way, woman!” one of the men shouted.
Tewdrig’s gaze was upon Ianto.
“I see you know him, King Tewdrig,” Catrin called. “No doubt Ianto told you that his magic would not work on the solstice, which is why he concocted that ridiculous lie about yesterday being mid-summer. Butmymagic, King, always works. It is powerful magic—enough to overcome the traitor. What did you promise him? More wine and boys?”
Everyone was staring at her now, even the king.
“Whoareyou?” the man beside the king demanded.
She lifted her voice high. “I speak for Prince Merlin, the High King’s enchanter.”
The men murmured among themselves. She saw them look at each other, but kept her gaze upon Tewdrig. “Yes,” she continued. “Merlin is here in Dyfed, to restore peace to the kingdom and deal with those who would interfere with the land of his birth. Did Ianto not tell you? He did not anticipate this?” She laughed. “You bought yourself a weak enchanter, Tewdrig.”
The man beside Tewdrig exploded. “Run her through and ride over her. We do not have time for this, my lord!”
